A new research study has revealed that the metal compound Organo-Osmium FY26 ‘targets and destroys’ cancer cells. For the first time, says ScienceDaily, researchers have witnessed cancer cells being targeted and destroyed from the inside by the metal compound that is 50 times more active than the current platinum-based cancer drug cisplatin. The compound kills cancer cells by locating and attacking their weakest part. Per the study, “in cancer cells, there are errors and mutations in the DNA of mitochondria, making them very weak and susceptible to attack.” Organo-Osmium FY26 was found to have “positioned itself in the mitochondria -- attacking and destroying the vital functions of cancer cells from within, at their weakest point.”

FY26 has been shown to be more selective between cancer cells and normal cells than cisplatin, which has a “greater effect on cancer cells than on healthy ones.” The research team, led by Professor Peter J. Sandler of the Department of Chemistry at Warwick University (where FY26 was first discovered), also witnessed zinc and calcium (natural metals produced by the body) move around the cells. “Calcium in particular is known to affect the function of cells, and it is thought that this naturally-produced metal helps FY26 to achieve an optimal position for attacking cancer,” says the team.

It must be noted that most research shows that approximately half of all patients who receive chemotherapy are treated with a platinum-based drug. Some research even shows that more than half of all chemotherapy treatments involve the use of platinum-based compounds (informally called platins). Though platins are powerful, they were introduced more than 40 years ago, so researchers say there is a need to explore the benefits of other precious metals.

“Cancer drugs with new mechanisms of actions which can combat resistance and have fewer side-effects are urgently needed,” said professor Sandler. Studies such as this “open up totally new approaches to drug discovery and treatment.”

The outcome of this research study is promising news for those suffering from a range of cancers—including mesothelioma.